A Role Model
by Neko-chan -Silvered Tongue
Summary: [Dragon Knights] Just another snippet fic on how Rath first met Kai-stern and how he got the sword on the cover of the 2nd manga volume...


A Role Model

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Once again, like I said before, I've only been able to get my grubby little hands on the first three volumes of the manga. Hopefully I'm not screwing up something that happens in later volumes or is explained later on. And if it is, please remember that I only have the first three volumes. 'Kay? 'Kay.

Anyway, this fic actually takes place in the past, when Rath is just a kawaii lil' Bishounen and just got Fire. Remember---I only have the first THREE mangas and I don't mean to make anyone OOC. (And, while I'm at it, anyone want to explain to me why almost all of the characters keep on saying that it looks like Rath is dying?! Nooooo!!) 

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights, though it would be nice to. That particular honor goes to Mineko Ohkami. It is an _excellent_ manga and I love it to bits. ^_^

  
  
  
  


Rath sat a bit to the side, watching as all the couriers and nobles walked briskly past. Everyone seemed to be busy and everyone seemed to have no extra time to spend with a child. They would spare a glance at the small person sitting in a corner of the room, but all would still continue on their way. Rath brought Fire closer to his chest and edged nearer to the much larger Crewger.

A feeling of loneliness seemed to swallow him up a bit, but he tried to shove it to the back of his mind. If he asked anyone to spend time with him, they would tell him that they were too busy or that he should go off and play with children his own age.

At this, Rath frowned and tugged a bit on Crewger's fur. 

"Crewger?" He tugged again, trying to get the animal's attention. "Crewger, why do adults tell me to go and play with kids my own age when there aren't any other kids in the palace? Don't they seem to realize that? And they don't let me out of the castle, either, so how am I supposed to find other people my own age to play with?"

Crewger snuffled and poked his wet nose at Rath's neck, reminding him that Rath was _not_ all by himself---the young boy still had Crewger and Fire for companions. Rath laughed and hugged the big furry beast around his neck. He knew what Crewger was trying to say...but he still felt a little bit lonely.

"Aren't you the little Dragon Knight, Rath?" a strong voice asked.

Rath blinked and let go of Crewger, looking up and up and up at the much larger person towering over him. The person wasn't particularly _large_ (at least for an adult), but he was still much larger than the short child. The young man had short spiky hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

He looked like a scholar, but Rath knew that appearances were often deceiving. The man had an aura of...power...of strength around him. Nothing could disguise it, not even those glasses.

Cocking his head to one side, Rath asked, "You're Kai-stern, aren't you? You're one of the Dragon Officers. I watch you guys, when you don't notice. No one ever really notices me. What are you doing here? I thought you told Ruwalk that you were going to leave today."

Kai-stern blinked. 'I must remember to remind Alfeegi to check the room for little "spies" before we conduct our meetings.' He blinked again. "And where did you hear that?" he asked suspiciously.

Rath just smiled up at him brightly. "Oh, somewhere... So, where are you going? You're always going out to do _something_. What do you do when you go? Why do you go? I'm never allowed out. I don't get to have any fun. Everyone else around here gets to go out and have fun, hunting yokai and demons, but I'm stuck here in the palace."

For the third time in a row, Kai-stern blinked. He sat down so that he and Rath were face to face. Cocking his head to one side (and copying Rath in doing so), he asked, "Why do you think that hunting demons is fun? It's a very dangerous thing to do."

The boy nodded. "I know. But all of you Dragon Officers go out and do it. You have to do it for _some_ reason, don't you? Don't you think that it's fun? 'Cause if you didn't, then why do you always go out and kill the demons?"

Kai-stern paused and thought about what Rath was asking. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he spoke: "We hunt the demons to protect our land and the lives of those who we are responsible for. It isn't just fun, Rath. You do have a bit of fun while the hunt is on, but it sometimes fades away. We fight and hunt the demons because that is what we were made to do. It's what being a Dragon Knight and Dragon Officer _means_."

Rath blinked and uttered one word. "Oh."

The Blue Dragon Officer smiled down at the small boy and reached to his side, handing him his own sword. "Here, I want you to have this. Rath, always remember _why_ it is that we hunt yokai and demons. Keep this with you as a reminder, alright? And...when you get older, we'll go hunting together." And, with that, he stood up and dusted off his pants and then walked away.

The small boy blinked again and looked down at the sword that he held in his small hands. Holding it closer to his body, he, Fire, and Crewger watched the Dragon Officer walk away.

Before all of this, Rath had never had a role model. He thought he had just found one.

  
  
  
  


A/N: Yup, I know that I was probably OOC on ALL parts in this fic, and I'm _really_ sorry. (I'm still learning! ;_;) I got an idea for this fic when I was staring absently at the front of the second manga volume (the one where Rath is a chibi, sitting near Crewger, with a sword in his hands). As I was staring at it, I wondered to myself, "Where did he get that sword?" And---viola! Instant fic. I hope you enjoyed this snippet story, anyway. Ja ne! ^_~


End file.
